Names of Note: Stanislaus announces spelling bee champs. What words did they nail?
Armand Soriente and Vangogh Tran topped the annual spelling bees put on by the Stanislaus County Office of Education.
Armand, a student at Sonoma Elementary School in Modesto, won the contest for fourth to sixth grades. Vangogh, who attends Turlock Junior High School, placed first among seventh- and eighth-graders.
Both will move on to the statewide spelling bees. So will second-place finishers Deen Wafa of Agnes Baptist Elementary School and Deetya Thogarucheeti of Prescott Junior High School, both in Modesto.
Sabrina Toor of Prescott and Diego Hernandez of Hunt Elementary School in Newman placed third in their divisions.
Each bee had an online qualifying round followed by live finals at the Martin G. Petersen Event Center in Modesto. The statewide elementary bee will be May 14 in Stockton. The date and location for the junior high version have yet to be determined.
The county office shared some of the words that top 4-6 spellers got right: “hypochondriac,” “reconnaissance” and “plagiarize.” The older students mastered words such as “febrifuge,” “aeroneurosis,” “rambunctious” and “abeyance.”
Blue Diamond cites Stanislaus grower
Christine Gemperle, who produces almonds near Keyes, received the Chairman’s Grower Ambassador of the Year award from Blue Diamond Growers.
Board Chairman Dan Cummings presented the award at the cooperative’s 111th annual meeting, conducted online.
Gemperle is a Blue Diamond board member who has worked toward sustainable water use, weed and pest management, soil health and other goals.
“Christine is a remarkable ambassador for Blue Diamond Growers and the California almond industry as a whole,” Cummings said in a news release.
Two growers in the Northern San Joaquin Valley were elected to three-year terms in their districts. George te Velde of Escalon succeeded the retiring Kevin Fondse in District 4. Nick Blom of Modesto replaced the retiring Charles Crivelli in District 6.
Board member Steve Van Duyn, a grower in the Modesto area, was named vice chairman under Cummings, who farms in Butte County.
Blue Diamond is the world’s largest almond processor, with plants in Sacramento, Salida and Turlock. It reported $1.57 billion in net revenue in the fiscal year ending Aug. 27, down from $1.59 billion in the previous year.
Farm Bureau presents awards
Several people in and near Stanislaus County were honored at the 103rd annual meeting of the California Farm Bureau Federation in Garden Grove, Orange County:
- The Stanislaus County Farm Bureau received the Innovator Award for “Farm Bureau Foodies,” a video series on social media about local restaurants that source items in the county.
The Tuolumne County Farm Bureau got a County Activities of Excellence award for its campaign against a county fire-protection tax that was seen as burdening rural residents.
Mark Avilla of Modesto graduated from Leadership Farm Bureau, a 20-month program teaching advocacy and other skills. He is a walnut farmer and owner of Grafted Tree Public Relations.
- Amanda Berry of Murphys also completed the leadership program. She is a territory manager for Elanco, which produces medicines and vaccinations for pets and livestock.
Shaun Crook, who has cattle and timber operations near Groveland, was re-elected as second vice-president for the state Farm Bureau. Jamie Johansson of Butte County continues as president and Shannon Douglass of Glenn County as first vice-president.
Names of Note recognizes people and organizations for their contribution to their communities. Submit items to jholland@modbee.com.
